Having moved so often, I’ve seen firsthand how the food we eat impacts our energy, mood, and overall health. Growing up, I ate straight from the garden—fresh vegetables, eggs from our chickens, and homemade baked goods. I rarely felt sluggish, never had major health issues, and somehow, despite all the childhood climbing and jumping, never even broke a bone.
At 18, I moved to Los Angeles, where my diet shifted to fresh fish from the local market and produce from roadside stands. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I felt incredible. My energy was high, my endurance improved, and I could run miles farther than I ever had back home.
Fast forward to my last big move—Savannah, Georgia. This time, I relied entirely on grocery store food. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but soon, I started feeling different. I was tired all the time, dragging through my days in a way I never had before. Worried, I doubled down on eating well—more vegetables, homemade bread, whole foods. But no matter what I did, my body didn’t feel the same.
That’s when I started researching. I knew from my background in farming, that food quality varies, but I hadn’t realized just how much. Studies, like one from the University of Texas, confirm that modern produce contains fewer vitamins and minerals than it did decades ago, largely due to soil depletion from industrial farming. In other words, even if you eat a plate full of vegetables, you may not be getting the same nutrition your grandparents did from the same meal.
This realization sparked my deep curiosity about soil health and how it directly impacts our own well-being. Because what’s in the soil—its minerals, microbes, and nutrients—dictates the quality of the food we eat. It’s the same reason a pasture-raised cow, grazing on diverse grasses, is healthier than one fed grain in a barn.
If we want to feel our best, we have to start from the ground up—literally. The dirt we grow our food in matters more than we think. Healthy soil is alive, teeming with microbes that break down organic matter and release essential nutrients into plants. But when soil is overworked, stripped of its minerals, and treated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, it loses its ability to nourish our food—and, in turn, us.
When our food lacks the nutrients it once had, we see the consequences—rising rates of chronic fatigue, weakened immune systems, and an increased dependence on supplements to make up for what our meals no longer provide.
Because in the end, food isn’t just fuel—it’s information. It tells our bodies how to function, how to heal, and how to thrive. And that all starts with the soil beneath our feet.
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Photo: Jessielyn Palumbo |
Isabella Williams is the current Miss Lake Champlain (Vermont). You can find her on her title's Instagram and/or her personal Instagram. She has been kind enough to write several guest blogs for Section 36 Forevers, which you can find here.
She is the author of several books, and the illustrator of the recent release The Fire Within You.
To learn more about Isabella, feel free to check out her Interview with Section 36.